Our Approach:
(Strategy)
- We provide COGO leaders with centralized services congregations cannot do themselves and provide statewide leadership for our community to interact together and make a difference throughout Ohio.
- We value collaboration of ministry efforts in which the banners of unity and belonging drive new and strengthen old partnerships.
- We value resourcing of leaders, congregations, and the next generation of leaders for the Church to produce in their lives and ministries, competence and even excellence.
- We value risk-taking to the extent that we are willing to give up what we have for the opportunity of greater success.
- We serve as a “paraclete” or one who walk along side, our churches to promote, consult, and coach for transformation. Empowering them to live out their call to make disciples who make disciples and serve their community.
To accomplish these shared objectives:
We invest in Leadership Development, Church Transformation, Congregational Services and Church Multiplication.
These four areas form a cog centered around the cross of Jesus Christ with all of our physical and people resources aligning themselves to achieve success! We are COGO, Moving Together.
Leadership Development
Transformational Leadership Coaching Clusters
We develop church leaders through Transformational Leadership Coaching Clusters led by Mentor Pastors and meet monthly for two years.
Super Cluster Meetings
In addition to the monthly cluster meetings, this development program includes Super Cluster meetings at least twice per year. These Super Cluster meetings feature established Christian speakers, writers and leaders that inform and inspire the coaching cluster participants.
Pastoral Leadership Skills Coaching
COGO has partnered with an organization named Ministry Advantage on this new initiative that teaches pastors what they need to know to be successful in ministry. The curriculum includes topics such as strategic planning, leading change, building volunteer teams, delegating and maturing the church financially.
Coach Training Sponsored by Church of God Ministries
This program is in partnership with CoachNet, International and provides pastors with the training and development of crucial skill sets in life and ministry coaching. We hope to use some of the graduates of the CTI process in ongoing coaching relationships.
Mission 120
The Mission 120 Initiative is a venture to raise up and resource 120 disciple-making churches in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. The goal is to see 60 of those churches in Ohio, 20 in Michigan, and 40 in Indiana. The ultimate driver of this initiative is creating a grassroots multiplication movement. In order to develop and maintain momentum in this movement, disciple-making must become the engine that continues to rapidly increase the number of disciple-making churches. It is important to note here that this is not a program or a silver bullet but rather a shift in the culture of how we “do church.” read more
Church transformation
Catalyst Coaching Weekend
We help congregations develop a plan-of-action for congregational turnaround and revitalization through a Coaching Weekend led by the Coaching Team.
Designated Coach
For follow-up and implementation, the congregation is assigned a congregational coach who is on-site at least quarterly or as often as monthly. But, the coach is always available at other times for counsel in implementing the prescriptions in the coaching report.
A personal coach can also be assigned to participating pastors as needed. Additionally, the pastor is required to take part in a coaching cluster, which is used as an accountability forum for personal and ministry growth.
Church multiplication
Part of our vision is growing our church. The Church Planting Team leads this effort by providing oversight and consistency to the church planting efforts of the Church of God in Ohio.
In the past forty years, Ohio has not experienced any significant growth in the number of churches. In fact, our church planting efforts have essentially replaced those congregations that have closed. Faced with such a reality, planting 50 new churches in the next decade is a major COGO initiative.
Why Church Planting Matters
New churches capture hearts in a way that established churches simply cannot. But, fewer and fewer are being built. In 1900, there was one church for every 350 people. Now, there are about one for every 900 people and the churches-per-capita gap seems to widen each year. To survive, church tribes need to plant 3% new churches every year and to thrive, even more.
“The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches.”
– Pete Wagner (Church Multiplication Advocate)
The success of church multiplication depends on the success of church-planting pastors. COGO is committed to helping church planters maximize their potential through coaching opportunities specifically designed for the rigors, complexities, and challenges that church planting entails. It’s our responsibility to help scatter the seeds of God’s Church.
Want to see your church grow? Are you being called to act as a church multiplier?